Tuesday, Nov. 26

Had one of those nights...woke up at 4:30, and couldn't go back to sleep. Got up when Hubbie woke at 7 a.m. Because I had a long day of cooking, I skipped my exercises and just went ahead and showered and dressed.

After breakfast, Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house, and we got busy in the kitchen. Mother sorted cranberries, and I put a pan of eggs on to boil. Then I washed the cranberries, while Mother peeled and diced apples.

Once the cranberries were cooked and cooling, we got pumpkin pies ready for the oven. Made three of those, which I baked over the course of the morning and into the afternoon. Then, Mother diced onions and celery for dressing, and I sauteed them.

Meanwhile, Hubbie ran errands, including a trip to the WDCS to pick up a few grocery items, including cans of cherry pie filling. When he returned, I baked a cherry pie. He also picked up a couple of pecan pies, because I don't make those.

For lunch, we had PB&J sandwiches and chips. Afterward, Mother and I watched last night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars," while Hubbie did this and that. This time, the dance contestant who was eliminated was the one we thought should be.

Following the show, Mother went to her jigsaw puzzle, and Hubbie and I ran more errands...to a business downtown to pick up folding tables and chairs; to an office supply store to get large paperclips for making a craft; to a dollar store to buy plastic snowflakes and ribbon for another craft; and to the WDCS for a few more groceries that didn't get on the list this morning.

Back home, I put dishes of rice and stir fry in the oven to heat for our supper. Served the meal with French bread. Afterward, Mother prepared a jar of mincemeat for a pie, put it in a crust, then fluted a top crust for it. I put it in the oven to bake, and it was done about 40 minutes later.

This has always been one of Mother's favorite pies, and a tradition on Thanksgiving, so I wanted to be sure we had one this year. Last year, she didn't have a taste for it, because she was still recuperating from bleeding ulcers. But she's well this year, so I'm hoping she will enjoy the pie.

Later, Hubbie accompanied her home, and then we watched one-hour shows on TV.

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The good news for me today was getting a letter from my family physician letting me know that my blood tests were all normal. I've been on edge about it ever since I was told that my white blood cell count was still mildly low after a second blood draw, and  my doctor wanted a third draw with further tests to rule out any potential underlying problems. So I breathed a big sigh of relief when that letter arrived today.